The sports memorabilia market has been booming in recent years, with many pieces from the biggest names in sports, such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, selling for millions of dollars in recent years. These items of memorabilia have come in all shapes and sizes, from players’ jerseys to sports cards.

With all this variety, it can be hard to predict exactly what items will come with a high price tag. Here are a few of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia to ever hit the market.

Babe Ruth’s 1928-30 Jersey $5.64 Million

Babe Ruth is one of American baseball’s biggest legends, and as a result, it should come as no shock that the player’s memorabilia has some of the highest values out there. One of the most expensive pieces of Babe Ruth memorabilia to ever go on sale is the player’s jersey from the 1928-30 seasons, which sold in a 2019 auction for $5.64 million.

Aaron Judge Homer #62 Ball $2 Million

Speaking of baseball legends, a recent incredible feat by Yankees player Aaron Judge has created one of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia today. When Judge hit his 62nd home run breaking the AL season record, a fan in the audience caught the ball. This lucky fan probably didn’t expect when he caught it that a sports memorabilia auction house would offer $2 million for the record-breaking ball.

Tom Brady Game Worn Buccaneers Jersey $480,000

The almost-half-a-million sale of Tom Brady’s autographed game-worn jersey beat a previous record set by the player only weeks earlier with a $320,500 sale of a game-worn jersey from 2021. The proceeds of the sale went to a good cause and were donated to the TB12 Foundation, founded by the NFL legend.

LeBron James Autographed Rookie Card $5.2 Million

A signed Upper Deck Exquisite Collection patch card was sold on August 27, 2021, for $5.2 million. The card was sold privately with PWCC Marketplace. It was graded a nine by Beckett Grading Services. The LeBron James card is now the most expensive basketball card. It took first place from the $4.6 million 2018-2019 National Treasures Luka Doncic rookie card Auto Logoman 1/1.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Card $12.6 Million

On August 28, 2022, a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card in mint condition was sold for $12.6 million by Heritage Auctions. The owner of the card, New Jersey resident Anthony Giordano, had purchased the baseball card in 1991 for $50,000. The amount obtained for the Mickey Mantle card was greater than the impressive $7.25 million paid for a T206 Honus Wagner card.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, sports memorabilia can sell for incredible sums, and in some cases, it can be difficult to predict what will go for the highest price. A sports card worth a few dollars when it was first sold may be worth millions a few years down the road. When in doubt about what a piece of sports memorabilia may be worth, it is always worth getting a professional appraisal. It may just reveal the next most valuable piece of sports memorabilia.

Contact Us

For an appraisal of any pieces of sports memorabilia in your collection, contact Manzi Appraisers & Restorers. Our team has more than 20 years of experience helping individuals and companies with accurate valuations of sports memorabilia, art, and decorative objects. Call us at 617-995-0022 and connect with on Facebook.